Winter air blues

It is a matter of time before cities are again shrouded in toxic haze—with citizens paying the price.

After days of devastating monsoon rains earlier this month, Nepal is currently enjoying clear skies and sunshine. Clear views of mountains heightened the festive mood. However, the fact that the air quality at our southern neighbour’s capital, New Delhi, recently degraded to the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Swiss group IQAir’s reading, is a cruel reminder of our own vulnerability to polluted air. Delhi’s poor air quality was partly a result of firecrackers used during Diwali. Yet that was not the only reason. If we don’t take preventive measures, it will only be a matter of time before Nepal’s major cities, just like New Delhi, are again shrouded in a toxic haze—with their citizens paying the price.